Key Matchups (http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3959.jpg) vs (http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/4175.jpg)Brandon Bass vs Paul Millsap Millsap has been playing very well this year for the Hawks, averaging 17.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. Bass's defensive strengths should make this a good matchup.

(http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/5055.jpg)vs (http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/3324.jpg)Jared Sullinger vs Elton BrandWith Al Horford out, this could be a matchup that favors the Celtics. Brand is a big body in the paint and a very good player, but he has also lost a step over the years.

Honorable MentionJordan Crawford vs Jeff TeagueTeague has become a very good point guard and is averaging 17.0 points, 8.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. If Teague gets hot, we may see Avery on him and Crawford defending against Lou Williams. It will be important to slow Teague down. Game NotesThe Celtics host the Hawks in the second of 4 meetings between these two teams this season. The Celtics won the first meeting in Atlanta 94-87. The Celtics have extra motivation to beat the Hawks in that they will more than likely own the Hawks' pick in this year's draft and every loss improves that pick.

Atlanta is currently in the 3rd spot in the East, 6.5 games behind the Heat, who are in the second spot. The Celtics are in 8th and 1 game behind the Raptors, who hold the 4th spot by virtue of leading the Atlantic Division.

The Hawks lost their center and best player when Al Horford went out with a shoulder injury. Horford is a two-time NBA All-Star who is the Hawks leading scorer (18.6 points per game) and rebounder (8.4 rebounds per game). Losing him was a major loss, but they are still a very tough team even without him. The Celtics can't take them lightly.

This is the Celtics second consecutive afternoon game. They are 2-1 in matinee games this season. Afternoon games tend to favor the home team. Let's hope the Celtics have their minds on the game and aren't planning their New Year's Even celebrations.

Keys to the GamePlay 48 Minutes - The Celtics have been getting off to fast starts and big leads. But, in the second half, they stop running, stop moving the ball, and stop going to the basket. They have to keep doing what works right until the final buzzer. Defend the Perimeter - The Hawks depend on the three to score. They are 3rd in the league, making 9.5 3's per game and are making 38.3% of their shots from beyond the arc. They have several good shooters from distance and the Celtics must up their perimeter defense. Rebound - The Celtics must crash the boards as a team, especially the guards. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics must be the team that wins the rebounding battle.

Set the Pace - The Celtics have to run on every possession. Part of the reason they have given up big leads is that they stop running, stop pushing the ball inside, and stop moving the ball. They have to keep up the pace for the entire game. X-Factors Matinee and FocusMatinee games usually favor the home team and that would be the Celtics in this game. They should also get a boost from the home crowd. Hopefully they will keep their focus in this game and not be thinking about their New Years Eve plans.

We need to lose for the sake of our own pick but win for the sake of the pick due to us from the DJ White trade which might end up being the Atlanta one. While I'm here, BOLD PREDICTIONS: Rondo makes shock return to the team in the 4th quarter, Wallace makes it to 20 points from off the bench, and Sullinger single handedly eats the Hawks front court alive.

We need to lose for the sake of our own pick but win for the sake of the pick due to us from the DJ White trade which might end up being the Atlanta one. While I'm here, BOLD PREDICTIONS: Rondo makes shock return to the team in the 4th quarter, Wallace makes it to 20 points from off the bench, and Sullinger single handedly eats the Hawks front court alive.

I honestly don't know which one is more possible: Wallace scoring 20 or rondo returning.

good question. if we ONLY look at this in terms of draft positioning, a hawk win is probably better than a celtic loss...slightly.

it seems that the hawks will make the playoffs regardless of the result tonight since the eastern conference is reaching historic levels of suck. so, a loss by atlanta MAYBE would change the draft position by one slot for the celtics, maybe getting #18 instead of #19, that sort of change.

on the other hand, a loss by the celtics helps keep them in the hunt for the lottery. ;) for the celtics, each loss not only gives them a better draft position, it also increases their chance of "winning" a top spot in the lottery.

another loss MAYBE would change the celtics' draft position from, let's say, #8 to #7 or something like that. small shift in location, but a potentially large advantage in terms of talent available to choose from.

so, in the final, dismal, depressing analysis....a celtic loss benefits the team more in terms of draft positioning.

but having said all that, i must absolutely now say.... gooooo celtics!! ;D

p.s. happy new year everyone! i wish you all a healthy and happy new year. :)

Hump is playing very good we might get something good at the deadline.

I doubt we get anything better than just his expiring contract would be for us. We'd have to take back 12mil to trade him and that would have to be expiring or it wouldn't be worth it. I can't see any trade from a contender that makes sense for Hump.

Hump is playing very good we might get something good at the deadline.

I doubt we get anything better than just his expiring contract would be for us. We'd have to take back 12mil to trade him and that would have to be expiring or it wouldn't be worth it. I can't see any trade from a contender that makes sense for Hump.

We could get Bynum! ;D

Though to be honest I'd be shocked if Danny wasn't at least considering it.

Ooooof! Green is so fluid in the open court. I look forward to seeing what he does with rondo, now that the celtics are a running team.

We're a running team now?

They run more compared to the last few years! :)

They just aren't very talented or efficient at it.... And then in the second half the running game goes down the tubes... Lol.Well, i still look forward to seeing how this team looks with rondo playing with a younger crew, with fresher legs.

You don't package multiple picks to move up often in the NBA, not unless you're moving up only a few spots.

In this draft I'd be shocked if anything like that happened. Maybe if the C's had 5 they could go to 3. Sort of like the Kevin Love/Mayo deal. The team having the third pick would want to draft "Kevin Love" (say Exum) but see the chance to trade down 2 spots and still get him.

watching Milsap this game really makes me think Houston should be making a real push to swap Asik for him. He'd be terrific next to Howard. Atlanta isn't doing anything without Horford this year and Asik would allow the to move Horford to PF next year where he really belongs.

I like when Tommy says, "see this is what happens when Pressey is in there, they start pushing the ball up the floor." No, that is what happens when a point guard is in there. Crawford isn't a point guard. Bradley isn't a point guard. Lee isn't a point guard.

Danny needs to trade Jcraw asap. Has little to no future with the team.

The guy follows the rules for the first half and tries to get others involved. But in the 2nd half, not sure if he is tired but changes to a different personality and looks to always shoot the ball. There are no drive and pass. No mixing things up. Just you have a hand in my face and i will shoot the shot

Unbelievable. Just cannot believe that Stevens comes up with that POS play. Just awful

Watch the play again. That wasn't the play. Lee broke open to the left corner. Craford was supposed to go left and use the Olynyk screen on his man for a clear pass to Lee in the corner. Crawford went right and improvised the shot.

Unbelievable. Just cannot believe that Stevens comes up with that POS play. Just awful

Watch the play again. That wasn't the play. Lee broke open to the left corner. Craford was supposed to go left and use the Olynyk screen on his man for a clear pass to Lee in the corner. Crawford went right and improvised the shot.

Well for a moment, we're still hanging onto the 8th seed (an E-Ticket to the Pacer Curb-Stomp Fun Ride) with our picks projected to be #15 and #20.

Good news is that if Chicago wins tonight, we'll fall out of the playoffs and be in the lotto with the 9th best odds in the draft. I mean... temporarily, of course. It's a long season.

Bad news is that Atlanta just keeps creating distance. The pick we get from Brooklyn/Hawks will be 20+.

Bad news is that if Chicago wins tonight... it will be against the Raptors. We NEED the Raptors to keep winning so they can stay on top of the Atlantic. I want no part of winning the Atlantic. Keep it away from me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBWQCHb95rg

Bos vs Atlanta and Chicago vs Toronto is just the absolute worst couple of matchups for Pro Tankers. We need Toronto and Chicago to win win win. We need Boston and Atlanta to lose lose lose.

The last thing this young team needs is purposeful losing strategies by their GM....

I think assembling this roster with Crawford,Bradley, and Pressey as the PG options was just that.I think Ainge expected more games like this one from Crawford, as opposed to the overall pleasant surprise he's been.

Maybe I'm nit-picking over terminology here, but do we really have a core? That's not meant to be an indictment on any player on this team, but we're a below .500 team in the East that appears to be more than just a player away...

Maybe I'm nit-picking over terminology here, but do we really have a core? That's not meant to be an indictment on any player on this team, but we're a below .500 team in the East that appears to be more than just a player away...

I would call them, along with green, the core players of this team. They are the most talented players on the roster, and you have to start building somewhere.

Are they core players for a championship team in the future? No. I think rondo could be, but the others would be role players.

I hate it....but now is the time for an 8-10 game losing streak---and a timely trade of at least one of our starters....Feel bad for Humphries and the other guys who played Hard today---Crawford SUCKED badly--and the refs made sure to call a foul every time the Hawks fell down on the slightest contact.

Oh wow. As if it couldn't get worse... now our starters are brawling on the bench.

This is a disaster. Our team is already 5 games below .500. Our injury-prone core can't stay on the court. Over the past two seasons, Bradley has missed 28% of his games. Sully has missed 41%. And our "star point guard" has missed a whopping 68% of his games.

Meanwhile, our 2nd and 3rd highest paid players rot on our bench. Gerald Wallace is on the hook for 30 million and is statistically one of the worst players in the entire league.

Now I hear tale that two of our starters were coming to blows on the bench? Outrageous!

Only one conclusion can be drawn from all of this. Enough is enough. This isn't working. It's time.

Oh wow. As if it couldn't get worse... now our starters are brawling on the bench.

This is a disaster. Our team is already 5 games below .500. Our injury-prone core can't stay on the court. Over the past two seasons, Bradley has missed 28% of his games. Sully has missed 41%. And our "star point guard" has missed a whopping 68% of his games.

Meanwhile, our 2nd and 3rd highest paid players rot on our bench. Gerald Wallace is on the hook for 30 million and is statistically one of the worst players in the entire league.

Now I hear tale that two of our starters were coming to blows on the bench? Outrageous!

Only one conclusion can be drawn from all of this. Enough is enough. This isn't working. It's time.

Time to blow it up, Danny.

he did already.

and it might not be best to define "injury prone" on the basis of 1 and 1/3 seasons, just a thought.

but in any case, let's be positive for at least the rest of this year. ;D

Oh wow. As if it couldn't get worse... now our starters are brawling on the bench.

This is a disaster. Our team is already 5 games below .500. Our injury-prone core can't stay on the court. Over the past two seasons, Bradley has missed 28% of his games. Sully has missed 41%. And our "star point guard" has missed a whopping 68% of his games.

Meanwhile, our 2nd and 3rd highest paid players rot on our bench. Gerald Wallace is on the hook for 30 million and is statistically one of the worst players in the entire league.

Now I hear tale that two of our starters were coming to blows on the bench? Outrageous!

Only one conclusion can be drawn from all of this. Enough is enough. This isn't working. It's time.

Time to blow it up, Danny.

he did already.

and it might not be best to define "injury prone" on the basis of 1 and 1/3 seasons, just a thought.

but in any case, let's be positive for at least the rest of this year. ;D

Yes he did indeed blow it up. He traded away two HOFers, let another one walk, and traded away the coach that won you a ring. But whatever, once you've blown up the toy, keep banging it against the wall. >:(

Oh wow. As if it couldn't get worse... now our starters are brawling on the bench.

This is a disaster. Our team is already 5 games below .500. Our injury-prone core can't stay on the court. Over the past two seasons, Bradley has missed 28% of his games. Sully has missed 41%. And our "star point guard" has missed a whopping 68% of his games.

Meanwhile, our 2nd and 3rd highest paid players rot on our bench. Gerald Wallace is on the hook for 30 million and is statistically one of the worst players in the entire league.

Now I hear tale that two of our starters were coming to blows on the bench? Outrageous!

Only one conclusion can be drawn from all of this. Enough is enough. This isn't working. It's time.

Time to blow it up, Danny.

he did already.

and it might not be best to define "injury prone" on the basis of 1 and 1/3 seasons, just a thought.

but in any case, let's be positive for at least the rest of this year. ;D

Yes he did indeed blow it up. He traded away two HOFers, let another one walk, and traded away the coach that won you a ring. But whatever, once you've blown up the toy, keep banging it against the wall. >:(

For whoever asked why the line up was the way it was at the end of the game is because the first unit....STUNK UP THE PLACE!!! Stevens was trying to talk to Green when he came off the floor and Green walked right by him. starters arguing with each other and then you have Crawford who single handedly with lousy passing and stupid shots, including the final shot which, I will bet, was not drawn up for him to take!!!I haven't been this aggravated over a loss simply because it should never have happened.and once again for you tankers....blow this up!!!!!!

Oh wow. As if it couldn't get worse... now our starters are brawling on the bench.

This is a disaster. Our team is already 5 games below .500. Our injury-prone core can't stay on the court. Over the past two seasons, Bradley has missed 28% of his games. Sully has missed 41%. And our "star point guard" has missed a whopping 68% of his games.

Meanwhile, our 2nd and 3rd highest paid players rot on our bench. Gerald Wallace is on the hook for 30 million and is statistically one of the worst players in the entire league.

Now I hear tale that two of our starters were coming to blows on the bench? Outrageous!

Only one conclusion can be drawn from all of this. Enough is enough. This isn't working. It's time.

Time to blow it up, Danny.

he did already.

and it might not be best to define "injury prone" on the basis of 1 and 1/3 seasons, just a thought.

but in any case, let's be positive for at least the rest of this year. ;D

Yes he did indeed blow it up. He traded away two HOFers, let another one walk, and traded away the coach that won you a ring. But whatever, once you've blown up the toy, keep banging it against the wall. >:(

Yes, we really miss Doc:-)) He has taken an upgraded Clippers team that was 25-8 last year at this point and "coached" this deeper and more talented Clipper team to 21-12. I love how almost everyone on this blog worships Doc and makes fun of Vinny Del Negro. I will bet that the Clips will NOT win 56 games as they did last year!!!

Oh wow. As if it couldn't get worse... now our starters are brawling on the bench.

This is a disaster. Our team is already 5 games below .500. Our injury-prone core can't stay on the court. Over the past two seasons, Bradley has missed 28% of his games. Sully has missed 41%. And our "star point guard" has missed a whopping 68% of his games.

Meanwhile, our 2nd and 3rd highest paid players rot on our bench. Gerald Wallace is on the hook for 30 million and is statistically one of the worst players in the entire league.

Now I hear tale that two of our starters were coming to blows on the bench? Outrageous!

Only one conclusion can be drawn from all of this. Enough is enough. This isn't working. It's time.

Time to blow it up, Danny.

he did already.

and it might not be best to define "injury prone" on the basis of 1 and 1/3 seasons, just a thought.

but in any case, let's be positive for at least the rest of this year. ;D

Yes he did indeed blow it up. He traded away two HOFers, let another one walk, and traded away the coach that won you a ring. But whatever, once you've blown up the toy, keep banging it against the wall. >:(

Yes, we really miss Doc:-)) He has taken an upgraded Clippers team that was 25-8 last year at this point and "coached" this deeper and more talented Clipper team to 21-12. I love how almost everyone on this blog worships Doc and makes fun of Vinny Del Negro. I will bet that the Clips will NOT win 56 games as they did last year!!!

we never got out to leads like this last year. We just have to learn to finish. and we have nowhere near the talent. That right there shows how good stevens is. doc won in 2008 because of the big 3. he should have won again in 2010 but his crappy coaching cost us. Should have beat the heat in 7 in 2012 as well. thanks doc! ::)

Oh wow. As if it couldn't get worse... now our starters are brawling on the bench.

This is a disaster. Our team is already 5 games below .500. Our injury-prone core can't stay on the court. Over the past two seasons, Bradley has missed 28% of his games. Sully has missed 41%. And our "star point guard" has missed a whopping 68% of his games.

Meanwhile, our 2nd and 3rd highest paid players rot on our bench. Gerald Wallace is on the hook for 30 million and is statistically one of the worst players in the entire league.

Now I hear tale that two of our starters were coming to blows on the bench? Outrageous!

Only one conclusion can be drawn from all of this. Enough is enough. This isn't working. It's time.

Time to blow it up, Danny.

he did already.

and it might not be best to define "injury prone" on the basis of 1 and 1/3 seasons, just a thought.

but in any case, let's be positive for at least the rest of this year. ;D

Yes he did indeed blow it up. He traded away two HOFers, let another one walk, and traded away the coach that won you a ring. But whatever, once you've blown up the toy, keep banging it against the wall. >:(

Yes, we really miss Doc:-)) He has taken an upgraded Clippers team that was 25-8 last year at this point and "coached" this deeper and more talented Clipper team to 21-12. I love how almost everyone on this blog worships Doc and makes fun of Vinny Del Negro. I will bet that the Clips will NOT win 56 games as they did last year!!!

we never got out to leads like this last year. We just have to learn to finish. and we have nowhere near the talent. That right there shows how good stevens is. doc won in 2008 because of the big 3. he should have won again in 2010 but his crappy coaching cost us. Should have beat the heat in 7 in 2012 as well. thanks doc! ::)

When I miss Docs rotations ...I just watch him doing same damage to the clippers game ........I feel better he is gone.......

Oh wow. As if it couldn't get worse... now our starters are brawling on the bench.

This is a disaster. Our team is already 5 games below .500. Our injury-prone core can't stay on the court. Over the past two seasons, Bradley has missed 28% of his games. Sully has missed 41%. And our "star point guard" has missed a whopping 68% of his games.

Meanwhile, our 2nd and 3rd highest paid players rot on our bench. Gerald Wallace is on the hook for 30 million and is statistically one of the worst players in the entire league.

Now I hear tale that two of our starters were coming to blows on the bench? Outrageous!

Only one conclusion can be drawn from all of this. Enough is enough. This isn't working. It's time.

Time to blow it up, Danny.

he did already.

and it might not be best to define "injury prone" on the basis of 1 and 1/3 seasons, just a thought.

but in any case, let's be positive for at least the rest of this year. ;D

Yes he did indeed blow it up. He traded away two HOFers, let another one walk, and traded away the coach that won you a ring. But whatever, once you've blown up the toy, keep banging it against the wall. >:(

Yes, we really miss Doc:-)) He has taken an upgraded Clippers team that was 25-8 last year at this point and "coached" this deeper and more talented Clipper team to 21-12. I love how almost everyone on this blog worships Doc and makes fun of Vinny Del Negro. I will bet that the Clips will NOT win 56 games as they did last year!!!

we never got out to leads like this last year. We just have to learn to finish. and we have nowhere near the talent. That right there shows how good stevens is. doc won in 2008 because of the big 3. he should have won again in 2010 but his crappy coaching cost us. Should have beat the heat in 7 in 2012 as well. thanks doc! ::)

When I miss Docs rotations ...I just watch him doing same damage to the clippers game ........I feel better he is gone.......

You guys criticizing Doc Rivers and loving Brad Stevens will be the first guys calling for Stevens head after three losing seasons.

I said it now, January 1st 2014.

Book it. It will be happening in 2-3 years. You will all turn on him and being having similar complaints about Stevens.

I won't turn on Stevens. It didn't take long to tell he really knows basketball. My question is; Will the players turn on him? They shouldn't but the NBA has always been a players league. Managing veteran egos is what Doc was best at. His bench skills is what I often questioned.

You guys criticizing Doc Rivers and loving Brad Stevens will be the first guys calling for Stevens head after three losing seasons.

I said it now, January 1st 2014.

Book it. It will be happening in 2-3 years. You will all turn on him and being having similar complaints about Stevens.

I won't turn on Stevens. It didn't take long to tell he really knows basketball. My question is; Will the players turn on him? They shouldn't but the NBA has always been a players league. Managing veteran egos is what Doc was best at. His bench skills is what I often questioned.

Exactly........I'm not going to turn on him either. Doc is an elite baby sitter......like Phil Jackson.......able to wipe three butts with a single smile. ....handler of the diva s...aka Howard's , Melos and Kobe's ., D wades and such . Lakers forums are already laughing at Doc , not really being all that better than Vinnie for the Clips .......we knew this all along. Doc is a YES MAN for the stars.

The big names are NOT many times the best coach..... Look what Vogel an unknown given a shot could do at Indy.

The best deal is to stay away from te D Will , Melo, Howard coach killers.......let them stay on the Lakers and Nets.

You guys criticizing Doc Rivers and loving Brad Stevens will be the first guys calling for Stevens head after three losing seasons.

I said it now, January 1st 2014.

Book it. It will be happening in 2-3 years. You will all turn on him and being having similar complaints about Stevens.

I won't turn on Stevens. It didn't take long to tell he really knows basketball. My question is; Will the players turn on him? They shouldn't but the NBA has always been a players league. Managing veteran egos is what Doc was best at. His bench skills is what I often questioned.

Exactly........I'm not going to turn on him either. Doc is an elite baby sitter......like Phil Jackson.......able to wipe three butts with a single smile. ....handler of the diva s...aka Howard's , Melos and Kobe's ., D wades and such . Lakers forums are already laughing at Doc , not really being all that better than Vinnie for the Clips .......we knew this all along. Doc is a YES MAN for the stars.

The big names are NOT many times the best coach..... Look what Vogel an unknown given a shot could do at Indy.

The best deal is to stay away from te D Will , Melo, Howard coach killers.......let them stay on the Lakers and Nets.

The difference between Jackson and Rivers is that Jackson was a very good bench coach. Actually, he was not a bad at developing talent either.

You guys criticizing Doc Rivers and loving Brad Stevens will be the first guys calling for Stevens head after three losing seasons.

I said it now, January 1st 2014.

Book it. It will be happening in 2-3 years. You will all turn on him and being having similar complaints about Stevens.

I won't turn on Stevens. It didn't take long to tell he really knows basketball. My question is; Will the players turn on him? They shouldn't but the NBA has always been a players league. Managing veteran egos is what Doc was best at. His bench skills is what I often questioned.

Exactly........I'm not going to turn on him either. Doc is an elite baby sitter......like Phil Jackson.......able to wipe three butts with a single smile. ....handler of the diva s...aka Howard's , Melos and Kobe's ., D wades and such . Lakers forums are already laughing at Doc , not really being all that better than Vinnie for the Clips .......we knew this all along. Doc is a YES MAN for the stars.

The big names are NOT many times the best coach..... Look what Vogel an unknown given a shot could do at Indy.

The best deal is to stay away from te D Will , Melo, Howard coach killers.......let them stay on the Lakers and Nets.

I dunno. Nick is probably right. The season is early and we've overachieved. We already have one malcontent (Gerald Wallace). Last night, two of our starters had a bit of a confrontation on the bench. Our petulant point guard hasn't even joined the equation yet.

Rick Pitino was a phenomenal coach who had the respect of the Celtic players early on as well... after enough losses piled up, he lost them. This team is still likely going to struggle for the next 3-5 years. Not enough talent currently... and unlikely we'll be saved by the draft if we accidentally make the playoffs this year. Let's see if you're still 100% on board with Brad after multiple years of bottomfeeder basketball. Inevitably you'll want a scapegoat.

I don't think we will win a Championship anytime soon .....we simply don't have the talent ...no matter who is coach......a nice young smart coach is good for 21 year olds to learn and develop under.....Doc stroked egos....dumped on the rest of the team

Somewhere in the background there has to be authority figure ..... We have DA handle the divas when it's time o have them on the team ..the stars ....LOL ........needs to e somebody riding shotgun ...ake.....Pat Riley gots Spo's back.

Long as DA upgrades the team every year and Stevens shows improvement on his part , I understand its going to be several years o put together a contending team.

You guys criticizing Doc Rivers and loving Brad Stevens will be the first guys calling for Stevens head after three losing seasons.

I said it now, January 1st 2014.

Book it. It will be happening in 2-3 years. You will all turn on him and being having similar complaints about Stevens.

I won't turn on Stevens. It didn't take long to tell he really knows basketball. My question is; Will the players turn on him? They shouldn't but the NBA has always been a players league. Managing veteran egos is what Doc was best at. His bench skills is what I often questioned.

Exactly........I'm not going to turn on him either. Doc is an elite baby sitter......like Phil Jackson.......able to wipe three butts with a single smile. ....handler of the diva s...aka Howard's , Melos and Kobe's ., D wades and such . Lakers forums are already laughing at Doc , not really being all that better than Vinnie for the Clips .......we knew this all along. Doc is a YES MAN for the stars.

The big names are NOT many times the best coach..... Look what Vogel an unknown given a shot could do at Indy.

The best deal is to stay away from te D Will , Melo, Howard coach killers.......let them stay on the Lakers and Nets.

I dunno. Nick is probably right. The season is early and we've overachieved. We already have one malcontent (Gerald Wallace). Last night, two of our starters had a bit of a confrontation on the bench. Our petulant point guard hasn't even joined the equation yet.

Rick Pitino was a phenomenal coach who had the respect of the Celtic players early on as well... after enough losses piled up, he lost them. This team is still likely going to struggle for the next 3-5 years. Not enough talent currently... and unlikely we'll be saved by the draft if we accidentally make the playoffs this year. Let's see if you're still 100% on board with Brad after multiple years of bottomfeeder basketball. Inevitably you'll want a scapegoat.

I hate to jump on one line BUT Rick Pitino at the pro level was a poor coach, bad in NY, bad in Boston. Maybe he is good at college level (egotistical jerk by the way) but not a good pro coach and even worse as a gm.

A little more on Crawford....it's really a shame that this guy can't control himself because at times he's a freaky good shooter. if he could just learn to control himself when he's not hitting because when he's not hitting that's not the only thing that affects his game. he tries to compensate by being to fancy with the passes and collects a lot of turnovers.basicly what I'm saying is, if this guy could play within what he is capable of doing, he is a weapon but when he tries to do too much, he becomes a game killer!!!

the scary thing about JC is whether he actually can be coached or not. when he uses his head he makes some great passes that are productive but his biggest problem is remembering there are four more players on the floor!!!